The Childhood Cancer Blog

The Childhood Cancer Blog

Welcome to The Childhood Cancer Blog
from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation!

  • Lara Stuart, Mom to Quincy (Childhood Cancer Hero)
    Lara Stuart, Mom to Quincy (Childhood Cancer Hero)
  • Nicole Ibbotson, Mom to Tyler (SuperSib) and Lilly (Childhood Cancer Hero)
    Nicole Ibbotson, Mom to Tyler (SuperSib) and Lilly (Childhood Cancer Hero)
  • Molly Sturgis, Mom to Evelyn (SuperSib), Telly (Childhood Cancer Hero) and Hattie Mae (SuperSib)
    Molly Sturgis, Mom to Evelyn (SuperSib), Telly (Childhood Cancer Hero) and Hattie Mae (SuperSib)
  • Erica Avello, Mom to Frankie (Childhood Cancer Hero) and Brooklyn (SuperSib)
    Erica Avello, Mom to Frankie (Childhood Cancer Hero) and Brooklyn (SuperSib)
  • Morgan Griffin, Mom to Scarlett (Childhood Cancer Hero) 
    Morgan Griffin, Mom to Scarlett (Childhood Cancer Hero) 
  • Emily Gigler, Mom to Edie (Childhood Cancer Hero) and Kinsey (SuperSib)
    Emily Gigler, Mom to Edie (Childhood Cancer Hero) and Kinsey (SuperSib)

Nicole’s daughter Lilly was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when she was just a year old. She recalls:

“It shook us. Our bond got stronger and we stuck together as a family to get through some tough days for Lilly. We had to be strong for Lilly to be stronger,” said Nicole. 

The moment your child is diagnosed with childhood cancer is the moment your motherhood changes forever. 

My own daughter, also named Lily, was diagnosed with a brain tumor called ependymoma when she was 14 months old. Today, she is 18 years old and cancer-free. 

I asked some fellow hero... Read More

How do amazing things come to fruition?  Who are these creative people that initiate wonderous solutions? The answers aren’t as surprising as they seem when you understand the mind of a child…  

I am brought back to when my son, Telly, was 4 years old. He was transitioning out of naps but still needed to rest his mind during the day, so we changed ‘nap time’ to ‘quiet time’ to appease him. Quiet time always started with a talking story, where Telly would pick a topic and plot, and then instruct me to begin creating a story.

On this specific afternoon, he requested a story... Read More

Jennifer Toth and her nurse, Pat Brophy, in 1995.

Jennifer Toth and her nurse, Pat Brophy, in 1995.

Jennifer Toth was just 2-and-a-half years old when she was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare liver cancer. Her nurse, Pat Brophy, was not only a medical caregiver to Jennifer, but also a source of encouragement and support to her parents. 

“Years after treatment, Pat was one of the first people who encouraged me to consider nursing, mentioned somewhat in passing but taken to heart as I considered potential career paths,” said Jennifer. 

Jennifer followed in the footsteps of her beloved nurse and is an oncology nurse at the same hospital where she received treatment... Read More

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